Kampfgruppe Krause at the Falaise Gate
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Thursday, August 31, 2017 - 09:53 PM UTC
Thanks buddy. Very nice thing to write for sure and also embarrassing for me because I now realize my mistake with the names. I went back and made the change so I hope Kurt and Karl can remain in the right places ! LoL
Sorry dudes,
J
West-Vlaaderen, Belgium
Joined: August 22, 2009
KitMaker: 1,491 posts
Armorama: 997 posts
Posted: Thursday, August 31, 2017 - 10:07 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Thanks buddy. Very nice thing to write for sure and also embarrassing for me because I now realize my mistake with the names. I went back and made the change so I hope Kurt and Karl can remain in the right places ! LoL
Sorry dudes,
J
No worries my friend .
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Friday, September 01, 2017 - 12:27 AM UTC
Finished the gunner. When all is in order with the base and the gun I will adjust the gunsite to fit his right eye exactly. It is too early to make that exact position fixed yet.
The colors were finished by using highlites on the smock,dark gray for the outlines of the leather gear,etc and the black for the very lowest places. Last step was dry mud and dust added to the helmet top,knees and boots and metal to the hobnails and shod areas of the bottom of the shoes.
The whole motley crew so far.
Happy as always to answer any reasonable questions that may come up.
J
Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Joined: October 10, 2010
KitMaker: 764 posts
Armorama: 742 posts
Posted: Friday, September 01, 2017 - 02:39 AM UTC
Your crew is looking real good !
#429
Massachusetts, United States
Joined: October 14, 2003
KitMaker: 1,086 posts
Armorama: 964 posts
Posted: Friday, September 01, 2017 - 05:29 PM UTC
Excellent progress on the gun crew, Jerry. I was wondering what I was going to miss while we were on vacation, now I know...
Doc Ski
HM1(ret.) USN
"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and under a just God, cannot long retain it." Abraham Lincoln
Manche, France
Joined: March 20, 2007
KitMaker: 340 posts
Armorama: 328 posts
Posted: Friday, September 01, 2017 - 08:57 PM UTC
Looking very good Jerry.
Nice natural poses, camouflage is spot on (sorry, that pun must have been repeated so many times by now
...)
Anyway,dust and dirt look great, particularly the gunner's helmet.
Cheers
Sean
New South Wales, Australia
Joined: May 04, 2016
KitMaker: 1,476 posts
Armorama: 1,463 posts
Posted: Saturday, September 02, 2017 - 07:04 PM UTC
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Wednesday, September 06, 2017 - 09:46 PM UTC
Maarten,John,Sean and Tim,
Thanks so much fellas for the positive reinforcement. It keeps me going for sure. I will have to look up that artist dude that was referenced and see where I stand ! LoL
Got started on the wounded MG gunner,who was the narrator in the anecdote I am trying to bring to 3D life here.
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Thursday, September 07, 2017 - 06:13 PM UTC
Calling Sean or Frenchie,
I have squinted at the excellent pics you guys have kindly provided and can't make out if the road surface back in '44 was hard packed crushed stone or cobbled or a combo of the both ? Any ideas? I am leaning toward the combo myself,
J
Manche, France
Joined: March 20, 2007
KitMaker: 340 posts
Armorama: 328 posts
Posted: Friday, September 08, 2017 - 01:03 AM UTC
Hello Jerry
Now it's just typical that I can't find the book from which I copied the photo of the Pak40 but here are a couple more. They're from a bit further into town, just outside the church, and show cobbles. As to how far the cobbled section stretched, and whether it went to and beyond where the Pak40 was I'm not sure, but will continue to look for the book tomorrow after work.
Anyway, I think personally you'd be OK with cobbles like these. Photos are form the excellent "Ils étaient là!" from Orep Editions:
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Sean
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Friday, September 08, 2017 - 01:27 AM UTC
Awesome Sean and thanks ! I would guess the cobbles went to my location as it was still in town,although right at the edge. Towns tended to have paving and given the large 18th century public work on the entry road here,I would say they finished off the surface with stone when they built the large berm across the low ground.. Thanks as laways and I envy your living in the place that has all the answers for this kind of thing !
J
Florida, United States
Joined: May 14, 2012
KitMaker: 730 posts
Armorama: 624 posts
Posted: Friday, September 08, 2017 - 12:09 PM UTC
Absolutely fascinating read Jerry, another Master Class experience you're taking us on. I know that was said already, but I just read thru each and every post and it is true!
You know, the foundation for the best dio is all the proper research you can do and background story one can gain B4 you tear into it on the bench, right? Soo, thanks Jerry.
I'm all signed up for this one, so keep it rolling man. Brilliant data, subject, and poses already, not to mention all the finely tuned attention to detail and accuracy.
Count me as well among those who look frwd to your SBS painting of the SS camo, as that too is on my active dio bucket list.
Cheers
Dave
"No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity.
But I know none, and therefore am no beast."
England - East Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: January 17, 2006
KitMaker: 1,694 posts
Armorama: 1,584 posts
Posted: Friday, September 08, 2017 - 08:40 PM UTC
Jerry, this just gets better and better. Seeing the three of them together really sets the scene. I know what you mean re road surfaces. I'm the same in that I never know whether French roads are cobbled, compacted dirt, brick etc. I suppose living in an asphalt age we automatically think of them all being metalled roads when in Europe they're not even now! It never occurred to me to ask on here lol. I'm going to have a bash at doing some smocks later today now I've psyched myself up. I did a figure in peas pattern trousers this morning and am happy with that. I took your advice and bought the AK M44 set. I swapped a couple of colours about and it looks right now so ready for the jump to oak leaf now I seem to have got peas pattern. I picked up a few figures this week that I've actually built OOB for the change as they're DML wounded for my regimental aid post dio. I've got pretty much all the stuff I need now, just need to build about another 15 casualties in various states. Nice to actually make a start now I've worked out how it'll look. The gunner hiding in cover looks to be an interesting one and I look forward to seeing him transform. Yet another natural pose to add to the dynamics. Cracking work!...Karl
Nothing is so exhilarating in life as to be shot at with no result.
- Winston Churchill
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Friday, September 08, 2017 - 11:03 PM UTC
Thanks Dave. This one was kind of started the opposite direction from my usual practice of thinking of an idea,then researching,etc. This one began with reading about this specific incident,which was very detailed in the telling. I then was blessed enough to have Sean and Frenchie supply me almost immediately with outstanding intel on the location and even a pic of the actual Begleit Komp. gun left behind !
Thanks for your support and extremely generous comments.
J
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Friday, September 08, 2017 - 11:06 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Jerry, this just gets better and better. Seeing the three of them together really sets the scene. I know what you mean re road surfaces. I'm the same in that I never know whether French roads are cobbled, compacted dirt, brick etc. I suppose living in an asphalt age we automatically think of them all being metalled roads when in Europe they're not even now! It never occurred to me to ask on here lol. I'm going to have a bash at doing some smocks later today now I've psyched myself up. I did a figure in peas pattern trousers this morning and am happy with that. I took your advice and bought the AK M44 set. I swapped a couple of colours about and it looks right now so ready for the jump to oak leaf now I seem to have got peas pattern. I picked up a few figures this week that I've actually built OOB for the change as they're DML wounded for my regimental aid post dio. I've got pretty much all the stuff I need now, just need to build about another 15 casualties in various states. Nice to actually make a start now I've worked out how it'll look. The gunner hiding in cover looks to be an interesting one and I look forward to seeing him transform. Yet another natural pose to add to the dynamics. Cracking work!...Karl
OK cool,good to know you got motivated and are painting this difficult cammo pattern ! Will it help if I did the same thing for the Erbsenmuster (pea) pattern that I did for the summer oak leaf painting ?
I have a few of those lined up when I get the next round of figs ready for the paint shop.
J
England - East Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: January 17, 2006
KitMaker: 1,694 posts
Armorama: 1,584 posts
Posted: Saturday, September 09, 2017 - 01:16 AM UTC
Absolutely! While the Calvin Tan book's nice I've learnt more about figure painting from you than I have from the book! There's not enough info on painting in that book, it all seems to be scratch building figures. The way you break it down step by step and show which colours you're using is invaluable as far as I'm concerned as you make it achievable and take the mystique out of what can only be described as some of the hardest camo patterns out there to paint. You could do a whole series of step by steps on the various Waffen SS patterns and it would go down a storm lol. I much prefer building figures as opposed to vehicles rather than the other way round and use vehicles as an excuse to build some figures to go with it lol. Any help is brilliant so it's a big yes to any step by steps you decide to do..Karl
Nothing is so exhilarating in life as to be shot at with no result.
- Winston Churchill
Virginia, United States
Joined: February 05, 2002
KitMaker: 6,149 posts
Armorama: 4,573 posts
Posted: Saturday, September 09, 2017 - 01:45 AM UTC
Jerry-- long time admirer of your workmanship. Another-- Great job. Having said that, can you tell me what brand of putty you use to attain the results you achieve on your figures?
thanks
DJ
DJ Judge
COL (R), USA
"Tanker Boots do not a Tanker Make."
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Saturday, September 09, 2017 - 08:38 PM UTC
Thanks again for the very generous comments Karl. I will put together a few pics about the erbsenmuster I am currently working on.As far as the putty goes I am using apoxy sculpt,a two part epoxy putty similar to plumbers putty.
J
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Sunday, September 10, 2017 - 08:24 PM UTC
OK Gents,
As requested here is a very quick SBS on the tricky WSS Erbsenmuster.
First step on this converted Alpine fig was to paint the base color with the AK base but lightened with white. I then got some un lightened color in the recesses.
Next step was the light dots and light areas which was done again with the AK color made for that. After that the AK dark spot color was applied.
I then went back and added the light spots to the dark green patches and vice versa,plus added the green,which was a combo of the AK set color and Vallejo Golden Olive.
Low areas were accented with German Cammo Black Brown by Vallejo.
Very shadowy areas were given slight black tones and high areas were done last with the AK set color "Global Light Shade" which I think is an amusing name for some reason.
It still gets the dirt,etc and will be blended a bit when I paint the rest. I want to try some different tones for the trousers to add interest and because there were a lot of dye variations used by the clothing factories. It helps to have a good reference and I went a whole lot overboard by splurging for the amazing two book series by Silvestri. It has anything you could possibly want to know about WSS cammo.
Happy to answer any queries I didn't cover here,
enjoy,
J
Massachusetts, United States
Joined: February 08, 2012
KitMaker: 1,271 posts
Armorama: 1,253 posts
Posted: Monday, September 11, 2017 - 08:15 PM UTC
Many thanks! I like the faded look to it, that's just the variation needed with the camo schemes. This is a good supplement to the very basic tutorial in the AK book.
-Conor
I'm doin' stuff. Lotta stuff.
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Monday, September 11, 2017 - 09:00 PM UTC
Thanks Conner,for interrupting the tumbleweeds ! Glad it was of some use !
J
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Monday, September 11, 2017 - 11:19 PM UTC
Got the top half of the erbsenmuster guy done.
Hope you like him,
J
bill_c
Campaigns AdministratorNew Jersey, United States
Joined: January 09, 2008
KitMaker: 10,553 posts
Armorama: 8,109 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 12, 2017 - 01:34 AM UTC
Colorado, United States
Joined: February 24, 2014
KitMaker: 3,033 posts
Armorama: 2,492 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 12, 2017 - 01:36 AM UTC
Hi Jerry, Everything about that figure looks great — from his facial expression, right down to the watch! I gotta' ask: How did you achieve the clear on the goggles?
Cheers!🍺
—mike
Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: April 10, 2011
KitMaker: 7,941 posts
Armorama: 7,934 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 12, 2017 - 01:51 AM UTC
Nah-yo,
1/35 is the way I roll !
Thanks ol buddy,
J
